Key points
- Drills to be conducted on May 7
- Measures include training civilians and students on safety protocol
- Hostilities between India and Pakistan show no signs of de-escalation
ISLAMABAD: Amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, the Indian government has directed several states to conduct security mock drills on May 7.
The Indian Union Home Ministry said the drills aim to ensure effective civil defence preparedness in the event of a hostile attack.
According to ANI, measures include operationalising air raid warning sirens, training civilians and students on safety protocols, enforcing blackout measures, camouflaging vital installations, and rehearsing updated evacuation plans.
Meanwhile, Indian PM Narendra Modi met with defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, followed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, in his office.
Hostilities between India and Pakistan are showing no signs of de-escalation.
Warlike scenario
The drills will simulate a warlike scenario, involving operationalisation of air raid warning sirens to test their effectiveness and activation of the hotline or radio communication links with the Indian Air Force, the Indian media reported.
It will test the implementation of blackout measures and evaluate the option of early camouflaging of vital plants and installations.
The May 7 exercise — which is bound to bring back memories of full-scale wars, with China in 1962 and with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971 — seeks to test functionality of control rooms and shadow control rooms and verify the activation and response of civil defence services, including warden services, firefighting, rescue operations and depot management.
Retaliatory measures
In response to India’s slew of aggressive moves against the country in the wake of the Pahalgam attack, Pakistan announced retaliatory measures that have included halting all border trade, closing its airspace to Indian carriers and expelling Indian diplomats.
Pakistan on Saturday also banned the use of its ports by Indian flag carriers.
